The Medicine Way
The Medicine Way Podcast explores healing, growth, and transformation through Indigenous wisdom, storytelling, and grounded conversations. Hosted by Tama Ross, this podcast bridges traditional knowledge with modern life, featuring elders, healers, change-makers, and seekers who walk the path of spirit, land, and community. Tune in for heart-centered dialogue, real experiences, and teachings that nourish the mind, body, and soul.
The Medicine Way
Episode 2 - Through the Fire: Ayahuasca, Ashes, and Afterlife
In this soul-stirring episode of The Medicine Way, host Tama Ross sits down with retired fire chief Dawn Birch — a woman forged in wildfire and reborn in ceremony.
After decades on the front lines as a smokejumper, EMT, and firefighter, Dawn’s world unraveled following the loss of a beloved crew member during California’s 2020 North Complex Fire. Burnt out and broken, she followed a mysterious call to the Amazon jungle, where she encountered ayahuasca, an ancient plant medicine, and her mentor, Don José Campos.
What began as a desperate search for healing became a profound spiritual awakening — one that reignited her purpose, reawakened her body, and led her to guide others through their own transformations.
Dawn shares stories of grief and growth, the rebirth of post-menopausal sensuality, and the quiet courage it takes to sit with another’s pain. From jungle ceremonies to NYC healing circles, she speaks with humor, humility, and fire.